The Brands Lectures
The 22nd Brands Lecture
Building Blockbusters: From M&M’s to Pedigree, and Beyond Products to Services
Grant F Reid
What really makes a brand unforgettable? Is it a flash of cultural magic, a campaign that shifts generations, or something deeper, woven into the way businesses are built? In a world of fleeting platforms and shifting consumer habits, the answer matters more than ever.
Few leaders know this better than Grant F. Reid. Over a 34-year career at Mars, he helped steer household names including M&Ms, Snickers, Galaxy, Dolmio, Pedigree, Royal Canin and Whiskas to new heights.
As CEO, he grew sales by more than 50% to over $45 billion, expanded the workforce to...
Past Lectures
Since the year 2000, the annual Brands Lecture, delivered by leading figures in their field, has been a popular event in our members’ year. Each lecturer has focused on a different aspect of branding or its effects. The following gives a taste of each lecture but you can read the full version by clicking on the links to download transcripts of the event.
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The 21st Brands Lecture
The history and future of brand management
Mark Ritson, Columnist and Founder, Mini MBA in Marketing
On a sunny morning in May 1931 a young P&G advertising executive called Neil McElroy sat down at his typewriter and bashed out two pages and created a new discipline of Brand Management. In this entertaining and applied talk, Mark Ritson follows the red line of that discipline’s evolution from that moment through to the present day and out into the future.
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The 20th Brands Lecture
Let’s make this more interesting
Adam Morgan, Author and Founder of eatbigfish
For all that we’ve learnt about marketing effectiveness, the big beige elephant in the marketing room is that most brands and marketing are still unforgivably boring. But what is the real cost of Dull? Why are so many smart, well-intentioned people producing such boring communications, inside and outside our organisations? And what should we be doing about it?
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The 19th Brands Lecture
Brands – falling in love again
Peter Field, Author and consultant
Average campaign effectiveness levels have declined seriously since around 2008. In his Lecture, Peter offered the fullest explanation yet for this decline, detailing the dangerously seductive thinking and metrics that undermine long-term effectiveness that has led to the neglect of brands. He argues that the support of brands is more important than ever and remains paramount in straightened times, suggesting how marketing should move forward.